Pennsylvania Game News - July 2019 - 42

strength practice provides.
The buck stood unflinchingly as I
let the string down. We stared at one
another for another 30 seconds or so,
then he began to retrace his steps.
I hadn't the strength to engage him
again. I watched as he drifted away.
To this day, I'm not sure why he
didn't pull out immediately. King of
the mountain? Unaccustomed to bowhunters? Consumed by my presence?
Startled into a deer's best defense:
standing still? I wish I knew.
But he sure showed me. If only I
could have had a rifle!

TAKING SHOTS

Sneak-up bow bucks almost always
promise close encounters, because even
when you know they're coming, you
often can't shoot until they pass under
or by your stand.
So, the biggest advantage you can
earn is to check the backdoor occasionally, regardless of whether you hear
something behind you.
Knowing a buck is incoming matters
that much.
Risking a move to stand up purely
is your decision. I have shot deer from
a sitting position, but I prefer to stand.
I rise gradually, positioning the bow
that is always on my lap. So, my move
includes getting to full draw.
Sometimes I get away with it. Sometimes I don't. It really depends on the
deer's level of alertness.
But I never take any deer for granted
in these situations. I'm as quiet and
deliberate as I can possibly be.
If you can, let the buck wander away
from your stand tree.
The close shot is never as good as
the one you'll get from 15 to 20 yards.
It isn't easy letting that buck walk.

42

And the bigger he is, the more temptation you'll have to shoot sooner.
So, keep your cool.
I once shot a doe being followed
by a buck - my buck tag was filled -
that came right to my stand tree. She
smelled the tree, did an about-face
and took a couple steps. While the doe
studied the trailing buck, I put an arrow
along her spine, right behind the left
shoulder.
Her hindquarters were maybe 5 feet
from the tree as the arrow disappeared
in her, and she bolted.
The doe's dash drew the trailing
buck's attention. He raced after her,
pushing her harder and farther. Before
I knew it, they were gone.
On the trail, I found the arrow had
passed through the deer, but the doe
bled sparingly. I searched until well
after dark alone and the next morning
with a friend, but the deer was lost.
Over my archery career I have taken
three bucks within 8 yards of my stand
tree. But this doe ended my willingness
to take that shot. I have concluded it's
too risky, regardless what sporting arm
you're using.
One of the greatest experiences
you'll ever have hunting from a tree
stand is when you're backdoored by
a deer at which you cannot or will not
take a shot.
When that deer suddenly appears
below your perch, you can't help but
admire its physicality, its presence.
Such close encounters infuse your
reason for being there, for chasing
whitetails. They're also that chance to
exemplify the restraint of a true sportsman and recognize its unparalleled
importance to you.
Nothing beats leaving the woods with
a smile, with or without a deer.
Pennsylvania Game News - July 2019

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